Letter Re: Preserving a Digital Library

Dear Mr Rawles, Since I have worked for a few decades now with computers as programmer, installing systems and building/repairing computers, I read last week’s articles/letters on a digital libraries with interest. Though most information provided is correct, some possibilities weren’t discussed, while others may not be entirely clear or confusing to the uninitiated. So, in addition to the previous postings, here is my take on ‘digital libraries for dummies’: Putting together a digital library is a good idea and I have one too. It contains everything from books to reference diagrams, user manuals and SurvivalBlog archives. However it can …


Economics and Investing:

Reader Rick D. spotted this over at Zero Hedge: GLD ETF Investors Unable To Get Physical Gold. Here is a key quote: “[Hedge fund manager Grant] Williams warned that the massive and escalating paper claims on physical gold at COMEX warehouses will create an explosion in the price of gold. Paper claims on gold are now at 55 to 1 meaning that there are contracts worth 55 ounces for every one ounce of actual physical gold in the COMEX warehouses.” Singer Joni Mitchell foretells an economic collapse. (Skip forward to 4:20.) Items from The Economatrix: Employers Hoarding Labor: Here’s Why …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Pierre M. sent: Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood to Coptic Christians: Convert to Islam, or pay ‘jizya’ tax    o o o Joanna H. recommended this web page: How to Make a Rabbit Skin Blanket    o o o The first Seattle Sustainable Preparedness Expo is scheduled for September 29th, 2013.    o o o Boy Scout alternative, Trail Life USA, launches ‘premier’ Christian group for boys. (Thanks to RBS for the link.)    o o o SurvivalPrepStore, a new Kansas City area survival store (with a nationwide mailorder customer base) is by offering an All American Deal in remembrance of 9/11.  …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 …


3D Printing: Is it in Your Future?, by Kevin L.

There is a lot of talk in the media these days about three dimensional (3D) printers. For our community there is the Liberator, a 3D printed gun. It is an amazing development but certainly not ready for widespread use. 3D printers also make it possible to print your own magazines, holsters, and just about anything else you can think of that is made from plastic. But how good are these printers? Should they be part of your survival arsenal? If so, which one should you get? You can get used 3D Printers for around $550 without trying very hard but …


Letter Re: Protection from Radioactive Fallout

James: To further the excellent article Protection from Radioactive Fallout by Tennessean: The author cites “The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, Samuel Glasstone and Philip J. Dolan, 670 pages, November 2006”.  A reprint version of this book is available, but is more than $50 at Amazon in paperback. As this book is in the public domain, I have made an on-line version of the 1977 Third Edition available at my site for many years. The index points to PDFs for the individual chapters which may be printed or downloaded for offline storage. Accompanying it is a web application which implements the …


Letter Re: Wool Carding Questions

This is in response to the recent question re wool cards for angora fiber. Please let me add a few important facts on this subject. Angora fiber needs to be processed on cards with a fine tine. The fibers are comparatively short and incredibly soft and fine. Buy cards referred to as cotton cards or recommended for carding exotic fibers or cotton. Yes, one can pluck and spin the fiber off a rabbit in one’s lap, but that’s generally a trick for fiber shows. Really, please, just pluck the rabbit and let it down to run around while you spin. …


Economics and Investing:

Record $175 Billion Due Makes Banks Worst Losers Conservative poll: Internet tax bill unpopular Greek unemployment rises to record 27.9 percent in June Items from The Economatrix: US Fed Expected to Forge Ahead with Modest Cut to QE3 Alcoa, Bank of America, and Hewlett Packard To Be Dropped From The Dow Why The Dow Is Getting A Makevoer And What It Means For The Economy


Odds ‘n Sods:

Update: The big sales on Mountain House long term storage foods packed in #10 cans are continuing. Some varieties are now sold out, for example: New Orleans Rice & Shrimp, Sweet & Sour Pork, and Pilot Crackers. On any of those, you can now expect up to a two month delay before shipment! There are now five SurvivalBlog advertisers that are running September Mountain House sales, and I strongly recommend that you stock up to take advantage of these sales prices in September. Here is a summary of the five September sales on Mountain House foods in #10 cans. They …



Notes from JWR:

Jubilant news spread across the Internet on Wednesday morning, proclaiming the historic recall of two anti-gun Colorado legislators, one of whom was the President of the State Senate, John Morse. These recalls were significant, and could foreshadow a conservative pro-gun backlash in the November midterm elections. Former Senator Morse was quick to downplay the news and characterize his recall “purely symbolic.” (Reader George D. wrote to mention this and asked: “Symbolic? Symbolic of what? How about symbolic of ‘You’re fired, you anti-Constitutional bas***d!’”) It is notable that leftist Former Senator Angela Giron “represented” a Democrat party stronghold district in the …


Protection from Radioactive Fallout by Tennessean

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Part One About me: I’m a retired Ph.D. biochemist who has worked with beta emitters in the laboratory.  I’ve no financial interest in any of the firms or products mentioned below. This post is dedicated to the late Cresson Kearny and his wonderful hard work in preparing the most essential book Nuclear War Survival Skills available at www.beprepared.com and other sources.   Dr. Stephen Hawking was once told by his publisher that for every equation he placed in his book the readership would drop by half.  Dear reader the author will harass you with only three equations.  The late great thermodynamicist  …


Letter Re: Pre-1899 Antique Gun Clarifications

Hi James, I was just looking at your FAQ article about antique firearms. Apparently, there has been some controversy over the dates of manufacture of some Winchester firearms. The discovery of so called Polishing Room Records have dates of “manufacture” which apparently disagree with the previously established “Madis” dates of manufacture. I was just wondering what your take is on this subject. Also, I’ve been trying to find out if there is any logical reason for selecting December 31, 1898 as the Antique firearms cutoff date. Did someone just arbitrarily pick this date? I know that there were cartridge ammunition …


Economics and Investing:

TANSTAAFL, Butter and Silver A new digital ecology is evolving, and humans are being left behind Items from The Economatrix: The Number Of Private Sector Jobs Fell By 278,000 Last Month But The Economy Is Getting Better? Jobs Figure:  Worse Than The Headline Number COMEX Default Risk As Gold Inventories Plummet 36%